New Kia Rio – first photos of Geneva debutant revealed

Kia has revealed the first official photos of its upcoming next-generation Rio, which will make its official debut in Geneva alongside the Picanto.

The new Rio will be available in three body styles (3-door and 5-door hatch, as well as 4-door sedan), and the company says that the B-segment offering will have a premium presence that’s rare in this segment.

The vehicle gets its own interpretation of Kia’s signature grille, integrated with the headlamps to give a new twist on the Kia family look. In profile, the body to glass ratio and its strong wedge form give the hatch a dynamic, sporty stance.

Click to enlarge

The new model features a wheelbase extended by 70 mm – to 2,570 mm – and promises greater passenger space and comfort, as well as increased cargo capacity to 292 litres (hatchback) and 390 litres (sedan). Exterior dimensions changes include an increase of 55 mm in overall length and 25 mm in overall width, though its height has been reduced by 15 mm over the old one to give the new Rio a sportier stance.

Inside, the new car will deliver a high level of quality previously associated with larger models, together with a wide selection of trim options.

The Rio will get six engine choices in all, depending on market, from a 69 hp 1.1 litre diesel unit for Europe up to a 1.6 litre GDI pot producing 138 hp for North America. Europe will also get an all-new, high-performance 1.2 litre turbo GDI unit from 2012.

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

when PROTON can offer more than KIA can offer him….but can PROTON do that? rumors said even KIA fired most of their employees before they hired him….it would be madness if our people lose jobs to accommodate him but then that whats its mean “bersusah-susah dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian”

The production version is tamed down,… I like the concept sketch version more. Anyway it really distance itself from the first and current version of Rio. (Its more like comparing the latest 2011 Sonata to the Jaguar look-a-like one. :)

The Koreans are taking over the Japanese really fast now! I wonder how Mazda and Honda or even Toyota are going to catch up with the assaults from Kia and Hyundai,.. at least in the design department. Mazda cars are becoming ridiculously uglier day by day, and Honda’s designs are like they are designing cars only for geeks.

And let us not talk about Proton here. Well,.. they should have kidnapped Peter Shreyer like 10 years ago and keep him locked in a design studio deep inside a secret facility somewhere in Hutan Belum or Rompin. Designing cars 24/7 – and Angry Birds free downloaded games to keep him happy. heh heh.

If can get the 1.2 turbo then it’ll be nice. If they apply the dual clutch into it, it’ll be even nicer.
As Hyundai is applying dual clutch to their models, hopefully kia will do so soon and hopefully Naza will be clever enough to take it in if kia has the turbo charge version with dual clutch transmission.
Set the price from RM80k to RM90k, it can kill a lot of other competitors in the market.

I find it hilarious how with the new wave of Hyundai and Kia designs, I always like the front of the Kias, while I always like the back of the Hyundais. I have to say though, this Rio isn’t looking too bad in the rear.

On a side note:
“Inside, the new car will deliver a high level of quality previously associated with larger models, together with a wide selection of trim options.” <<– (alamak, promonya bunyi sentence ni.)

Ash,
Actually Hyundai and Kia are selling tons of cars here in the US. Infact Hyundai just cannot keep up with the demand for Sonatas and Elantra inspite of running 3 shfits. Recently it was on the news that Hyundai will begin to import Korean built Elantras to meet the demand. My cousin who went to get an Elantra was told by the dealer that she being the first gets to pick colors from the three left on his lot.

Elantra consistently gives about 37 mpg on highways on her daily 80 mile commute. The fit and finish is awesome and drives very well.

Proton better close shop lah, sold off to Kia Hyundai group better don’t waste more good metals:
Proton eyes co-tenant to use plant’s excess capacity
SHAH ALAM, Feb 11 — Proton Holdings Bhd is considering getting a third party to use its manufacturing plant, which currently has a spare capacity of 50 per cent…

haha…dream on…see whether in 3 yrs time, anyone wants to buy a Japs anymore…if Kia n Hyundai can gives cars like this even nw…imagine in 3 yrs time, the kind of cars coming from them…..their value will be mindblowing at tht time with demand surplus supply….

This is the car to go for the mass especially the 1.6 litre with reasonably good power, torque and fuel consumption. The car exterior looks just nice, not too fancy while retaining the conventional look of those past performance car. Interior is geared for practicality, just reminding you those machines you used to bring to your regular racing track (Lancer, Civic, Impreza).

Hmm…wouldn’t it be just nice to be selling around RM85k MAX for a 1.6 litre? Kia…go go go…

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